Oil-price rebound gave capital spending a lift but weakening prices means it will likely be short-lived

The U.S. economy has been uninspiring this year, but businesses’ willingness to buy big-ticket items has been a bright spot. In the first quarter, gross domestic product grew at just a 1.4% annual rate, while investment in capital equipment, new plants and the like increased 10.4%. Absent that gain, GDP would have grown by just 0.2%.